Stolen statue from Jaffna temple recovered

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 December 2003, 12:34 GMT]
Vavuniya Police Tuesday recovered the statue of Hindu God Ganesh stolen from Kokkuvil Jaffna Pillaiyar Temple when two Kokuvil residents, Balasingham Sivalingam (30) and Sinnarajah Mayooran (29) attempted to smuggle the statue through Omanthai checkpoint, Vavuniya Deputy Police Inspector, P. Pathamanathan said.

Pillyar statue suspected to be robbed from Kokuvil Pillayar Temple in Jaffna

The alleged thieves were remanded in bail till 29 December by Vavuniya district Judge M.Illancheliyan, legal sources said.

The statue is 18" tall and 24kilo in weight.

Vavuniya Senior Police Officer Miskin said that when he approached archeological experts to estimate the price of the Statue, he was told that since the Statue is very old it's irreplaceable and therefore priceless.

When the Omanthai police questioned the suspects, they had said that the Statue was being taken to an address in Nellukulam in Vavuniya for cleaning. Followup investigations by Vavuniya Police revealed that there was no such cleaning service at that address and that the suspects were taking the Statue illegally for selling it in the black market.




The statue is being inspected Thursday by Mr.T.J.Miskin Senior Superintendent of Police Vavuniya. Mr.Ranjith Kasthurirathna Asst. Supdt. of Police, Mr.P.Pathmanathan the Acting Headquarters Instpector and Mr.T.M.Wijeratna, OIC Crimes Vavuniya are also in the photo